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Post by mediadogg on Jul 28, 2019 15:10:33 GMT
Oh, you bring even more smiles. Thank you for making my day! No problem glad I made your day....... Now when you get a chance read more about solar without AC....... Not everyone has it........ I would love to talk more about that. Of course that is a dream scenario. But due to how my house is situated, the cost of labor on my area, etc., it was too pricey to get a system large enough professionally installed. And my roof is so high, and given my age, I am not able to do it "DIY." So, instead, I have decided to do the best I can by building small systems that take advantage of good sun at various places on my roof, that can supply enough juice to do meaningful work. And all my panels can be reached from on the ground or through a bedroom window, so that I can easily clean off the snow. I get a lot of good solar even in the winter. I have the following mini-systems at the moment: (1) About 1200W of panels connected to a 125AH battery, plus a Renogy Lycan connected to 300W of of panels, and another 50AH battery connected to a 100W panel. Using various ATS, voltage sensors and timers, I run my all my computer servers most of the day, and into the evening. On the average, I save about 10 - 15% of my househoold usage that way. (2) My second system has a 200AH battery fed by two separate charge controllers and two sets of panels that catch the sun at different times of the day, This system runs my family room, home theater (not the projector!!!), my laptop and computer monitor and a charging station for keeping power banks and mobile electronics topped off. (3) My third mini-system is 200W of panels on the side of my garage that feeds a small 24V 20AH battery. Due to the intense sun for a small time, and the small battery bank that stays near 100% all the time, those panels are able to blast enough juice into a charging station that I built in my garage, based mainly on USB type-C, for fast charging of the large power banks that my wife and I use.I also charge the batteries for all my power tools, remote controls, smoke detectors, etc. from solar. I totally resist buying non-rechargeable batteries. The charging station has a 78WH power bank, with AC that supplies a power strip where I can plug in various kinds of charging dongles, and also supplies more USB 3.0 outputs. High power type-C PD is supplied by board sold by Cool Gear, that takes 24V input and can deliver up to 60W via type-C. So, yes, I am totally envious of those that have been able to go totally off-grid. For me, it is not only about saving money. It is about the planet and it is about independence from powerful institutions that can control my destiny. I like to be able to turn on a light when I want, cook when I want, and use the power of nature to supply the energy needed for a modern lifestyle. Cavemen used the sun to dry fish. I use the sun to run my computers. Kind of the same thing, right? I have a feeling that we share some of the same kinds of goals, maybe accomplishing them in different ways. I hope that as time goes on, we can find a way to constructively share in helping each other meet those goals. Ok, so now what do you think of my mini-systems? (be gentle )
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Post by tattoo on Jul 28, 2019 16:49:48 GMT
About 1200W of panels connected to a 125AH battery Ok, so now what do you think of my mini-systems? (be gentle ) They sound like you have a great set up....... But one question came to mind..... Was the 1200w of panels a typo?? If it wasn't what kind of CC do you have and why such a small ah battery??
1200w of panels is a good bit.....
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Post by mediadogg on Jul 28, 2019 17:41:48 GMT
About 1200W of panels connected to a 125AH battery Ok, so now what do you think of my mini-systems? (be gentle ) They sound like you have a great set up....... But one question came to mind..... Was the 1200w of panels a typo?? If it wasn't what kind of CC do you have and why such a small ah battery??
1200w of panels is a good bit.....
Ok, let me double check and get back to you on that ...
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Post by mediadogg on Jul 28, 2019 18:46:35 GMT
About 1200W of panels connected to a 125AH battery Ok, so now what do you think of my mini-systems? (be gentle ) They sound like you have a great set up....... But one question came to mind..... Was the 1200w of panels a typo?? If it wasn't what kind of CC do you have and why such a small ah battery??
1200w of panels is a good bit.....
Yes, you were correct. I double counted. I actually have a diagram, so I double checked and this is what I actually have: For computer room - (4x150W = 600W) into a generic 50A MPPT CC that feeds the 125AH SLA battery and 600W Samlex inverter - (2 x 100W = 200W) into Renogy PWM CC in parallel across the same 125AH SLA battery - (3 x 100W = 300W) into Renogy Lycan Powerbox 2x(21AH x 48V Li) - (1 x 100W) into 20A Tracer MPPT feeding 50AH SLA battery and 300W Samlex inverter For Family Room / Home Theater/ Charging Station - (4 x 100W = 400W) into 30A Tracer MPPT CC feeding 200AH SLA battery and 600W Samlex inverter - (3 x 130W = 390W) into 20A Renogy PWM CC feeding the same 200AH battery For Garage Charging Station - (1 x 200W) into Renogy MPPT CC feeding 10AH 24V SLA battery and 78WH Omnicharge power bank (AC and USB outputs) - The 24V battery feeds the Omincharge directly, and the load terminals of the cc feed a Cool Gear Type-C PD / USB 3.0 board In the computer room, all computers are fed through UPS's. The UPS's are connected to an ATS that switches between grid and solar. The solar supply is actually a combination of the Samlex inverter (120V) output and the Lycan (110V) output. The switch between them is controlled by a combination of a timer and a voltage controlled transfer switch that senses the voltage level of the 200AH battery. This setup is almost fiddle free. Unfortunately, the Lycan has no remote control capability, so whenever my default setting cause it to shut off, I have to manually reset it. The 50AH battery / 300W Samlex is used to power the AC adapter that charges the Lycan. So the Lycan is being simultaneously charged by direct input from solar panels, and also its AC adapter which is being also powered from solar. But the family room system is 99% hands off. Except for every few days when the GFCI circuit trips on the inverter, that system basically runs from battery as long as the voltage is above about 40% charge, then automatically switches to grid (ok, don't rub it in). So let me see what you have to say about that, and then if you don't mind I would like to talk about your strategy for night time and how you handle it. And I'm proud to say, that when my power company sent my end of year budget plan statement, I had overpaid by almost two months. Not totally off grid, but I am happy to see results from my efforts. And like I said before, the independence feels good. We can lose power, and even though I have a gas generator, we can get lights, internet, computers, and mobile devices for several hours without it. I am considering making another mini-system that runs the furnace and stores enough for a couple of hours of winter time power outage, so I don't need to mess with the generator.
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Post by tattoo on Jul 28, 2019 22:06:49 GMT
^^^^^ Man that sounds awesome...^^^^^^ It's way better than the system that I have now other than the batteries......
So how much do you think you are saving on AC power?? I thought you said but I can't seem to find it again....
Why don't you expand on your batteries?? You are way over powering the ones you have now... I'm thinking you could at least double if not triple your battery capacity....
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Post by mediadogg on Jul 29, 2019 1:33:19 GMT
^^^^^ Man that sounds awesome...^^^^^^ It's way better than the system that I have now other than the batteries...... So how much do you think you are saving on AC power?? I thought you said but I can't seem to find it again.... Why don't you expand on your batteries?? You are way over powering the ones you have now... I'm thinking you could at least double if not triple your battery capacity.... Last time I did measurements, it was between 2 and 4KWH / day. Since then, I have added more, so I am guessing maybe 5 to 6KWH / day. My average daily use in the winter is about 24KWH when at home, 18KWH when we are away on vacation. I think most of it comes from the two refrigerators and the dehumidifier in the basement. Interesting thought about expanding the batteries. On the best days, I do hit 100% even when my loads are on, but on cloudy days or in the winter, not so much. Maybe next time I get some spare change, I might do a rolling upgrade. Bump up the 125 to 200, replace the 50AH with the 125 and move the 50AH to the garage. Hmm, now you got me excited. Thanks for the idea. Only thing, the 200AH are so darn heavy, and it's upstairs. And I can't do lithium without upgrading my charge controller. Or ... I could double up on the 125. I have read conflicting opinions about adding a battery in parallel that was newer than the original. What is your experience on that?
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